Nurc 2009

Terror Point (77°41′S 168°13′E), located just below Mt. Terror, is the eastern limit of Fog Bay, 6 km (4 mi) NW of Cape MacKay on Ross Island. The Agamonte research team was conducting glacial research and doing routine maintenance on their remote sensing station mounted on the seafloor below the glacier when disaster struck. The dormant shield volcano, Mount Terror came to life after 1.75 million years of silence. The volcano erupted and shook the earth violently for 1 minute. The Agamonte team lost control of their multimillion dollar ROV and their anchor to their ship was pinned under debris from the resulting earthquake. A distress call went out to any and all ships in the area. You and your team of researchers, called Magellan Scientific, were conducting a parallel mission 30 km (20 mi) west on the glaciers of Mount Erebus, an active strato volcano and the largest of the three volcanoes on Ross Island, when you received the distress call. You and your team had just finished your mission and quickly radioed the Agamonte team that you were on your way. When you arrive at the scene it is well after sunset and you are given the run down of what needed to be done. You have 30 minutes before Mount Terror erupts again and you must be out of the water and on your way.

Free the anchor of the research ship

Manually activate the emergency ascent device on the damaged ROV

Turn on remote sensing station work lights

Re-attach the broken mooring of the remote sensing station

Retrieve a scientific package from the remote sensing station

Deliver a new scientific package to the remote sensing station

Retrieve a glacial core sample from a tunnel bored into the glacier perpendicular to a region of turbidity currents below the glacier, before glacial collapse.

Measure the depth of the opening to the tunnel where the glacier core sample is to be retrieved, before glacial collapse.

Measure the temperature of the newly created volcanic vent.

Record the sound of the volcanic vent

Retrieve core samples from iceberg

Retrieve bioluminescent bacteria samples from iceberg

RIAB (top) and Aquabot (bottom) practicing in the pool at NURC 2009 in Chandler, AZ